Dear Mark, Your guess would be at least 10 years out on this one. The Macleans number is certainly 1934 although it could have been purchased in 1935. I will bet you won of your beloved Taper Tube Gillotts against this fact. There have been a lot of self styled so called British cycling experts historians of late who proclaim to know everything. In fact all they do is cloud the issue with very duff information but this is taken as gospel by the uninitiated and apprenticed and totally confuses any genuine reaserch and leads us up the garden path. I can probably find documentary evidence to verify that this is indeed a 1934 frame. This is not a dig at you personally as I regard you as a very good authority and expert on cycling matters and you have done a world class job on Gillotts, but people having an uninformed guesses doesn't help in these matters. Old cyclists and builders are the ones that I trust for historical accuracy. Incidentally two who would fall into this category if they were still with would be Bill Bush and Len James. I purchased a Macleans via the former which had a DE prefix to the number and this was a one owner bike from new purchased off the shelf in 1935, the original owner could not bear to part with the original receipt. Finally EE is on some 1934 tandems and after the war they start with a "K" prefix. K = 1946 KA = 1949 KB = 1950/51 KC = 1955 KD = 1958/59 All of the D, EE, and K numbers are proven correct confirmed historical years. I realise that several distinguished list British list members have either resigned from the list or have been banished, I am not going to make any case for these but I can fully understand their frustration and annoyance when they see statements from so called experts who know nothing and either resign in disgust or go OTT on the list and get booted. I greatly enjoy your wonderful accurate posting on CR and it is much appreciated. Hope you don't mind me also posting this to the list but in my opinion its high time that we got back to historical accuracy after all the youngest of these builders are now well into their 80's and everything is getting harder and cloudier to find out. Heard from a cycling pal that Harry Carrington is very ill? When you think that he won the Kitten's Annison Bowl way back in 1949 I think this illustrates my point about the age of the artisans who made this wonderful kit. Best wishes Joe.
Croeso Cymru Joe King Nr. Maenaddwyn Ynys Mon Wales